Method of producing and using fruit and vegetable coating wax



April 4, 1950 s. c. RIEKE 2,502,592

1 METHOD oF PRoDucING AND USING FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CDATING WAX f Fild April so, 1942 E5 E4v INVENTOR. SlDNEYG. RsEKE ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 4, i950 METHOD vor'PRoDUoING AND USING FRUIT f AND vEGETABLn COATING WAX SidneyGRieke, Mission, Tex. Application pril 3o, 1942ser'ia1No. 441,231

` The invention relates to a waxy composition and the method of formingthe material in ycakes so that it may be appliedto fruit, vegetables and the like.

In my prior co-pending application, Serial No. 287,813, for Fruit and vegetable waxers, filed August 1, 1939, which has matured into Patent No. 2,372,225, issued March 27, 1945,' thereis disclosed and claimed a lmachinevwhich nely pulverizes a waxy material and feeds-it directly to the articles being coated. The waxv is provided for the machine in cake form which must b'e of such consistency that the 4waxwill brush from the' cake in finely divided particles. These particles oat down onto the articles being coated f and are brushed or spread over the surface'. An improved form of Waxing machine is also shown in my copending application Serial No. 467,003, led November 26, 1942, now Patent No. 2,341,369 for a Waxing machine.

It is an object of the invention to provide a cake of wax to be used in the coating operations described in my above 'quoted patentwhere the center of the cake is a relatively soft unstable wax which could not be formed, handled, or used in cake form, but such cake is made in stable form by enclosing the soft unstable wax in a coating r sheath of relatively harder, stable wax.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is an illustration of a cake being formed in a pan where the pan has beenlled with hard wax, the outside of which has already solidified and the center remains molten. v

Fig. 2 is a sectional View wherev the top has been severed and then the molten center removed.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view wherdbthe relatively soft wax has been introduced to vform the center portion in the shell of hard Wax.

Fig. 4 illustrates a thin layer of hard wax having been applied to the soft wax center so as to completely enclose such center. f

Fig. 5 illustrates a sectional view of the cake in finished form.

I have found that different fruits and diierent vegetables are best coated withfsomewhat different compositions of wax. Thus a harder firmer wax composition may be applied to citrus fruit because of the nature of the skinor hull thereof while a quite diiferent wax composition is best suited for vegetables such as tomatoes and peppers. If a hard wax is used on the tomato I have found that the wax will not adhere to the .l 2 claims. (C1.v esi-416s) Y' smooth skinof the tomato and that a softer wax must be used. The question of polish must also be considered so that the articles will have the proper appearance. A softer wax may not be suitable for use in cake form at summer tempera- 'turesv and I have found that the cake of soft wax may double up in the machine or otherwise become deformed and unmanageable or unserviceable. To overcome these disadvantages I have devised a method of preparing the cakes of Wax sothatthe cakes can be readily formed, stored, handled, and used. This method embodies the formation of a shell of harder Wax to enclose a softer wax. Thus, the soft wax is confined and a suitable composition can be vused in the waxing machines where such a cake is provided,

` It is to be understood that the compositions hereinafter set out can be varied somewhat as to proportions depending on particular circumstances and conditions encountered such as temperatures, humidity, condition of the fruit and the time interval between coating and the marketing.

' In order to illustrate one form of a suitable composition of relatively hard wax, it may be stated that a commercial form of paran-ln wax having a melting point 'from 135 F., to 140 F. may be used as a base. To this paraffin is added an amount of either ordinary bees wax or a commercial form of carnauba wax, or if desired, some of each may be used. These materials are proportioned at about 94% to 98% paranin and 2% to 6% of the other materials.

One form of softer wax may be illustrated as made up of approximately paraflin having a. melting point from F. to 128 F. mixed with 16% to 25% of petroleum jelly and 2% to 5% of either bees wax or carnauba wax or a combination of the two latter. To 300 pounds of this is added two or three gallons of regular white gasoline or some suitable oily emulsifying agent.

The harder wax is preferable for citrus fruit while the softer Wax is better for smooth skin fruit or vegetables.

As indicated above the softer wax is somewhat unstable under conditions often encountered during use and to permit of its efcient use the invention embodies the formation of the soft wax in cake form with a coating or shell of the harder wax. f

The cakes may be molded in small trays or pans 2 approximating six by ten inches and' about 21/2 inches in depth. The hard and the soft waxes are each compounded and then melted separately, the harder wax 3 is poured into the pans", as in Fig. 1, substantially filling the pans. This harder Wax 3 will of course cool from the outside so that a solid shell 4 will form on the outside while the center 5 remains liquid. Before the center solidies the top 6 of the shell is cut out, as in Fig. 2, and the molten center 5 poured out leaving a shell 4 in the bottom, sides and ends of the pan similar to a pie crust. The thickness of this shell'4 may be determined by the cooling permitted before the center is poured out and Will be Varied in accordance with the expected temperatures Where the Wax is to be used. In cooler temperatures only a rone-eighth of .an inch shell may be formed while for warmer or summer temperatures, as much as iive-eighths of an inch in shell may be formed. y' v In either event, the softer Wax 8is nowv poured into the shell in the pans to approximately "ll the Shell, 3S in Fig. 3. The Soft Wax S-allOWerd I l puin'g al softer Wax int() the Open shell, allow..

to cool so as to solidify in the shell of hard wax 9. Aflayer of the 4harder Wax -is vnow ,pouredover thesolidied-soft vwax to an amount such that it will 'contactthe lupstanding ends and edges `of the shell of hard wax as in Fig. y1. Whenthis top layer 9 of'harder wax soldies the V-softer wax is entirely enclosed tov provide a. cake I0 where the shell of .harder wax completely supports and-retains the softer wax. Fig. 5 shows the cake I0 removed from the pan or tray.

`When acakeof wax formedas` described is placed inthe machine for -use the -hard 4shell maintains-the softer waxin place and the.. feeder mechanism forces the hard shell toward vthe highspeed cutting vbrushes `so `that the face of the cake in cross section is 'cut away y.to dust both ithe` soft and the hard wax onto lthe articles beingwaxed.

`It has `been shown in actual operation that waxes formulated as above provide excellent protection for vthe fruit and vegetables to .prevent 'shrinkage and to permit transpiration or breathing. y

Broadly the invention contemplates theformaf tion-ofbothhard-.and soft Vwaxes anda cake-of .2. A .method-o1" for-ming cakes of wax for use yin vcoating fruits and vegetables which comprises the steps of pouring a harder Wax into the mold,

ing such top and the molten interior of the body.

ing the softer wax tosolidify, pouring a layer .of theharder'waxbn the softer wax to contact thetedges ofthe shellso that the cakel comprises SIDNEY C. .REFERENCES CITED 4The following .references are .f of .record iin tthe le of thisfpatentz 'UNITED' STATES 'PATENTS Number Name "Date :22,592 Tatum 'Jan. 11,1859 1,450,408 n,Brooks Apr. 3, '.1923 v1,462,1'301 Hohmann, July 24,;1923 v1,726,304. vLewis Aug-27,'19-29 1,896,123 .Schweitzer Feb. 7, 19.33 1,970,861 MacRillet al.. Allg. 21,193.4 2,058,584 Gastel f Oct..'w2"'l,."1936 2,070,936 Trowbridge Feb. 16, V1955"? 2,118,521 Pickens May 24, 1938 2,150,284 MaCRill ..1 Mar. 14, 1939 .2,161,281 Carter June 6, 19,39 ,2,186,691 Belzer .Jan. 9,1940

2,229,131 Root Jan. 21, 19.41 

1. A METHOD OF USING A SOFT NORMALLY UNSTABLE WAX IN COATING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES WHEREIN THE WAX IS BRUSHED FROM A CAKE IN THE FORM OF SMALL PARTICLES WHICH COMPRISES ENCLOSING THE SOFT UNSTABLE WAX IN A SHELL OF RELATIVELY HARDER NORMALLY STABLE WAX TO PROVIDE A CAKE WHICH CAN BE HANDLED, AND BRUSHING FROM SUCH CAKE A SHOWER MADE UP OF BOTH SOFT WAX AND HARDER WAX PARTICLES TO FALL BY GRAVITY TO CONTACT THE ARTICLES BEING COATED. 